Air-gun.



I. DE FIR.

, AIR GUN. APPucATldN mgn MAR. I5. 19u.

Patented Mar 12,191.8

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AIR GUN.

APPLICATIQN Flu-:o MAR. l5. |911.

v Eaten Malz 12, 1918.

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Specicetion of Eetters Patent. Bauamt-,ed Mgr., i2, il,

Application led March 15, 1917. erial No. 155,043.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JESSE DE FIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paraould, in the county of Greene and State of rkansas, have invented certain useful Imrovements in Air-Guns, of which the folowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyin drawing.

The present invention re ates to a gun or pistol, and has for an object to provide a device of this character which may be held in the hand and operated by pressure of a finger on a trigger.

it is another aim of the present invention to provide a gun of this characterI wherein air is compressed and caused to eject with considerable force 'a small shot or the like.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a gun of this nature with a magazine for a large number of shot, and to provide the gun with improved means for feeding the shot one at a time into the barrel for ejectment.

The above, and other objects and advantages of this invention will belmore particularly brought out in the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same bein illustrated in the accompanying drawings w erein:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through a gun constructed laccording to the present invention, the parts being shown in retracted position and about to be released with a shot delivered'into the barrel.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts subsequent to their release and immediately after the ejectment of theshot.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the single shot feeding mechanism.

Fig. l is a transverse section taken through the gun on the line 4.-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged view of the plunger and the parts carried thereby.

Referring to thev drawings, wherein likeI parts are designated by similar numerals vof reference throughout the several views, 10 designates the casing of the gun which is preferably made in two side sections adapted to be secured together by rivets or the like in any well known manner. The casing 10 is made in the form of a hollow stock provided with a depending hand grip portion at its rear end by means of which the casing may be easily held in the hand. The forward or oi'iter end of the casing is provided with a transverse slot 11 through which a finger of the hand graspingthe casing is adapted to be projected. The outer end of the casing is provided with a cylindrical socket 12 into which is detachably fitted the rear end of'a barrel 13. The barrel has at its under side a notched lug 14 adapted to register with a transverse opening formed through the sides of the casing and through which is detachably secured a screw or pin 15 for holdling' the barrel 13 firmly in the casing. The

barrel 13 is cylindrical in form and is provided intermediate its ends with a transverse web or Ipartition 16 which is centrally apertured, and which may be provided upon its inner side with a packing washer 17, the washer being similarly apertured. The barrel y13 is provided with a shield 18 having a collar adapted to it in the opening of the web 16, the shield extending forwardly and closing ofi' the upper part of the barrel 13 from. the lower part and serving as a chute or hopper for directing a quantity of shot placed in the top of the barrel rearwardly toward said collar. The barrel 13 is provided at one side with a projection 19 adapted to it inV a slot formed in one side, and longitudinally, of the casing 10 to hold the barrel 13 from turning.

Within the barrel 13 is placed a feed tube 20 which is held substantially centrally in the barrel 13 by a cap 21 secured to the outer vend of the barrel 13, and by the passage of -or plug 24. In the top of the plunger 23 is formed an opening 25 the front and rear walls of which are inclined downwardly and y' forwardly to direct shot passing down through the opening into the forward part of the plunger 23. A spring finger 26 has one end connected to the inner surface of the plunger while the outer end terminates beneath the opening 25 and is adapted toyieldingly bind the shot one at a time against the walls of the opening. The tube 2O has the walls of its opening 22 inclined downwardly and rearwardly, and the rear wall is ared upwardly to a slight extent, as shown at 27,

' to present a cam face for engagement against the top of the shot to force the same down through the opening 25 against the tension of the sprin finger 26. The rear end of the plunger 23, eyond the opening 25, is provided with a plunger head 28 fitted with a suitable washer for .air-tight engagement against the inner wall of the barrel 13. Beyond the head 28, the plun er is provided with a shank 29 adapted to t into the open end of a plunger rod 30 mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in the upper part of the casing 10. The shank 29 is'held detachably in the lopen end of the plunger rod by means of a pin 31. The rear end of the lunger rod 30 1s provided with an apertured ip 32, and the plunger rod is connected to a spring 33 which is carried in the casing 10,

and which normally urges the plunger rod into its forward position. f

The lower part of the casing'lO is provided with a trigger or slide 34 which is.

' its upper edge, a spring pressed pawl 35 having a forward upwardly inclined cam face 36 adapted to ride a ainst the lower face of the apertured lug o the lunger rod to depress the pawl 35 and hold) it in such position until the tooth of the pawl registers with the aperture in the lug 29. The rear end of the pawl 35 is ,provided with an upwardly inclined finger 37 ada ted to strike against a transversely exten ing pin 38 carried through the rear end of the casing in the path ofthe nger 37. As shown, the pin 38 is provided with an anti-friction roller upon which the finger 37 may freely ride. v

The sliding trigger 34 is yieldingly and normally held in its upward position by means of a spring 39 which surrounds a guide rod 40 secured at its rear end to the casing and is slidable into the trigger 34 which is preferably of hollow formation, the latter bein formed with a lug 41 for slidably receiving said rod 40. rlhe casing 10 thus serves as a support and bearing for the rear end of the guide rod and for the trigger 34 as will be apparent.

In operation, a uantity of shot is placed rin theforward en of the barrel 13 through suitable openlngs in the cap 21 and said barrel 13, the cap being turned to bring the openings in registration with each The cap 21 is now rotated to close the openings and the shield 18 directs the shot backger 23, which latter is held normally V1n its orward position by means of the spring 33.

The spring finger 26 holds this single shot n in the opening 25 with the major portion of the shot projecting into the plunger. vWhen A- the nger is pressed upon, the trigger 34 the pawl 35, which is normally interlocked with the lug 29 of the plunger rod, draws the plunger rod 30 with its plunger l23 backwardly, and thusbrings the upper side of the shot into contact with the 11p 27 of the feed tube, whereby the shot is orced into plunger are moved backwardly as far as the parts of the gun permit, and the finger 37 of the pawl engages the pin 38 and is recessed thereby to disengage the pawlfrom the lug 29. The spring 33 now forces the the hollowplunger 23. The trigger and the y `plunfger rod 30 forwardly with considera- I for the air being through the opening 25 of thev hollow plungerand therethrough to the forward open end thereof. The plunger 23 is of relatively small diameter as compared with that of the barrel 13. The barrel 13 provides therefore, between the partition 16 and the plunger head 28, a relatively large yair chamber to retain a large amount of compressed air which is forced through the o enmg 25 and the hollow plunger. `The s ot is of but slightly less diameter than that of the plunger 23 so that considerable force of air pressure is placed behind the shot to eject it with considerable force.A As soon as the trigger 34 is released, .the spring 39 carries it forwardly vand the pawll 35 is alternately interlocked with the lunger rod '30. The next shot drops into t e opening 25 of the plunger and is held-therein bythe spring linger 26. The gun is now ready for a second similar operation.

It is of course understood that various chan es and modications may be made in the a ove specifically described construction of air gun without departing from the spirit of the invention, the changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an air gun, a barrel, a'tube `in the barrel having a rearwardly inclined opening, a plunger fitting in `sa1d tube and having a forwardly inclined opening therein adapted to register with the opening in the tube, a block closing the rear end of the t e opening 1n t e plunger for sup orting the shot delivered thereto through sa1d tube, means for retractmg the plunger to con-v v plunger a sprin linger projecting beneath other for the introduction of the shot.= h 7' sequently assure of the shot being forced into and retained in the plunger, and means for directing air under pressure through the opening in the plunger when' the latter is moved.

2. In an air gun, the combination of a barrel provided with a partition therein, a feed tube arranged forwardly of the partition and having an opening in the top thereof, a plunger slidable in the barrel and having a reduced hollow portion adapted to fit into said tube and provided with an opening adapted to register with the opening in the tube, said openings in the tube and plunger being adapted to receive a shot downwardly therethrough into the plunger, means for retracting the plunger, means maintain the shot therein, and a head 0n said plunger rearwardly of said partition in the barrel .and adapted to compress air therebetween through the passage in the opening in the plunger to ej ect said shot.

3. An air gun comprising a casing, a barrel projecting from the casing, a plunger mounted to slide longitudinally in the casing and having a reduced hollow end projecting into the barrel and provided with an opening in its top, a sliding trigger mounted in the casing, means for normally urging the plunger forwardly, a second means for normally urging the trigger forwardly, an interlocking device for connecting the plunger to the trigger when said parts are intheir forward position, releasing means inthe casing adapted to release the plunger from the trigger when the parts are drawn rearwardly, shot feeding means mounted in the barrel to feed shot one at a time through said opening into the reduced hollow part "casmg,

of the plunger, and air compressing means connected to the plunger for feeding the compressed air through said opening adjacent the shot upon the initial forward movement of the plunger.

4. In an air gun, the combination of a plunger adapted to rece've a shot therein, means for normally urging the plunger into forward position, a spring pressed trigger normally urged into a forward position, means for interlocking the plunger and the trigger when said elements are in their forward positions, releasing means for said elements when the same are retracted to permit the free forward movement of the plunger, shot feedin means connected to the plunger andadapte to be actuated by the retraction thereof for feeding shot one at a time into the plunger, and air compressing means connected to the plunger for feeding air thereto behind the shot uponthe initial forward movement of the plunger.

5. In an air gun, the combination of a a barrel detachably fitting in the forward end of the casing, a plunger rod 'slidable longitudinally in the casing, a hollow plunger longitudinally slidable in the barrel and having detachable connection with the plunger rod, shot feeding means arranged in the barrel and having connection with the plunger for feeding shot one at a time into the hollow plunger when retracted, and means carried by the plunger for compressing air in the barrel for passage into the hollow plunger when the latter is moved forwardly.

Intestimonv whereof I aiiixvmy signature.

JESSE DE FIR. 

